What does success mean to you? Have you found it difficult to find success at work, school or even in personal life? LaRae Quy, a former FBI undercover and counterintelligence agent, offers four tips on how to be successful: 

Choose good values

Choose a job that gets you motivated and has good values versus poor ones. Examples of poor values include material success, a need for attention and adoration, and a desire to be popular. All of these are “superficial, selfish and dependent on external events”, and “they lie outside of our control, which means we continually struggle to attain them” (Quy, 2019).  On the other hand, good values stem from internal goals. They are “honest, considerate of the greater good and controllable”, and when you face good problems, you will likely work harder because what you’re pursuing is of value and meaning to you (Quy, 2019). 

Start the important work

Do you procrastinate on important work? If you’re like most, the answer is probably yes- at least every now and then. If you want to be successful, however, “you’ll need the mental toughness to commit to what is important to you” and continue to strive for your goals (Quy, 2019).  When you’re pursuing something important to you, quitting is never an option. 

Forge solid relationships

Being a part of a solid community is incredibly important not only for success at work, but also for psychological success and well-being. Not all companies offer close, communal atmospheres, so if you find yourself struggling to connect at work, find your “tribe” elsewhere (such as church, book clubs, etc.)  Strong relationships are linked to better health and happiness, so find your niche and people you can closely interact with! 

Make do with the hand you’re dealt

Life is tough. That’s just a plain, unfortunate fact. We all face challenges, but it’s how we approach them that allows us to overcome them.  It’s all about mental toughness. In other words, you must believe “you will prevail in your circumstances” instead of believe that they will change (Quy, 2019). Once you accept the fact that pain is inevitable, you can choose to grow and strive to overcome.